


Unexpected Understandable Consequences

by helsinkibaby



Category: The Flash (TV 2014)
Genre: Age Difference, Community: comment_fic, F/M, First Time, Het, Rare Pair, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-09-27
Updated: 2016-09-27
Packaged: 2018-08-18 05:58:37
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,577
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8151469
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/helsinkibaby/pseuds/helsinkibaby
Summary: Caitlin goes to take a shower. Seems someone beat her to the punch.





	

**Author's Note:**

> September lonely prompts week - day two theme rare pairs
> 
> Theme: one word  
> Prompt : Any, m/f, shirtless  
> http://comment-fic.livejournal.com/747707.html?thread=98735547#t98735547

"Oh my god, I'm so sorry." 

The words are a squeak when they leave Caitlin's lips and she knows her cheeks are burning as she spins quickly around, fighting the urge to cover her eyes. She's already embarrassed enough, behaving like a child isn't going to make her feel any better. 

Neither will babbling but it appears she's going to do that anyway. "I didn't realise anyone was in here, and after stitching Cisco and Wally up, I didn't want to wait for a shower when I got home and there's never anyone in here..." 

"Caitlin, breathe." Joe's voice is remarkably unflustered and Caitlin does as she's told, the action made easier by the sound of a pair of trousers being pulled on. 

Because when she'd walked in, Joe was obviously fresh out of the shower, a towel slung low around his waist, droplets of water still glistening on his chest and shoulders. The image dances in front of Caitlin's eyes, stays there and she reminds herself that she's seen men shirtless before. She's a doctor, for crying out loud, not some blushing virgin and she's even seem Joe shirtless, when she's been patching him up after some meta human has done a number on him. She shouldn't be so flustered. 

Except, she thinks, that all those other times, she'd been focused on doing her job, had seen him shirtless without really registering the broad strength of his shoulders, the muscles in his arms and on his chest. For a man his age he was in remarkably good shape and the stark lab lightning hadn't done justice to him, not the same way that the warmer shower room light did, the way his skin, still wet in places, almost seemed to glisten...

Caitlin covers her face with her hands and tries not to groan aloud. She does not need to be thinking like this. Not about Joe. Not about her friend, and worse, her friends' father. 

"You can turn around." 

She doesn't know whether he sounds embarrassed or amused and when she looks at him, his face is caught somewhere between. He's still shirtless and her eyes move to his chest as if drawn there by a magnet, though the towel draped across his shoulders obscures her view somewhat. 

Which is a good thing, she tells herself firmly. A very good thing. 

In his hand, he holds the shirt he'd been wearing earlier on and as he holds it up to the light, the huge rips that crisscross the back make her gasp. "I think it's dead, Doc," he deadpans, but she has another concern in mind. If that's his shirt, what must his back be like? 

"Turn around." 

She's all crisp instruction and for a moment she think he's going to argue. But then he turns slowly - and she does not look down, she does _not_ \- and sure enough, there are livid thin scratches along his back. Suddenly, she has a memory of Ronnie's back, scratched like that by her own fingernails and the memory shimmers and just like that, Ronnie is replaced by Joe and a shiver runs down her spine. 

She should leave, but she's a doctor and she moves closer to check out the marks. His skin is warm under her fingertips and he jumps slightly as she makes contact. "Sorry." 

"Stung a little in the shower." Is his voice lower? Huskier? "But I knew the skin wasn't broken... it's why I didn't tell you. You had your hands full with Wally and Cisco." 

She makes a little noise to indicate her disgust. "Next time, tell me. I could have given you some salve to rub on them." The idea makes her drop her hand, take a step back. "I'll go get some." 

She's at the door before his voice reaches her. "Any chance you can rustle up a STAR Labs sweatshirt in my size?" 

She turns, which was a mistake because he's thrown the towel on the bench nearest him. "Sure," she says, trying not to look and failing completely. 

She just hopes he hasn't noticed. 

She heads towards the medical supply closet, grateful that it's one area she keeps well supplied and stocked. There's also still some STAR Labs sweatshirts there, wrapped in plastic way in the back so she grabs the largest one she can find - Barry's making steady headway with the smaller ones. It also passes the cortex so she pops in there on the way back, intending to give the job to someone else. Except the place is deserted and she remembers Cisco and Wally muttering something about beer being the best anaesthetic, can see Barry and Iris in her mind's eye, facing each other with foreheads touching, hands laced together and she knew that there was only one place that that scenario was going to end. 

Which means that she and Joe are the last two here. 

Her thoughts took a most unCaitlin like direction and she shook her head to clear it, resolving that the next time Iris offers to set her up with a cute guy from work, she's damn well going to let her. That's not going to help her now though, so she retraces her steps, finds Joe sitting right where she'd left him. He jumps as she closes the door behind her and she gives him what she knows is a tight smile as she holds up the salve. 

"This shouldn't hurt," she says as she twists off the cap and he snickers as he drops his head. 

"Isn't that what you always say to Barry, right before you hurt him?" 

She smiles, the teasing making her feel more at ease. "But I'm lying to him," she says simply and his low chuckle makes a swarm of butterflies take flight in her stomach. 

She wills herself to focus, mentally names the muscles and bones of the back and spine in English and Latin as she rubs the salve gently into his skin. She's almost finished when she notices goosebumps beginning to dot his skin and she frowns. The rooms they use at STAR Labs, even rooms like this, are set to a constant temperature and she's not cold in the slightest. She refuses to think that she's hot under the collar, thinks grimly that she's been hanging around with Cisco too long. "Is it cold?" 

Her voice breaks the silence of the room and he startles. "No," he says and his voice is husky, just like earlier, but with a distinct hint of strain showing through, like he's in pain but trying not to show it. 

"Joe?" Her hands still on his shoulders and when he doesn't say anything, doesn't do anything but sit stock still, she comes around to stand in front of him. "Joe?"

When he looks up at her, his eyes are dark, his face almost guilty. "You need to leave," he says and there is definitely strain on his face. "Because I need a shower." 

Caitlin is lost. "But the salve... and you just..."

"Caitlin." She stops talking and he looks down, then back up again with one eyebrow raised. "A cold shower." 

It takes a second for it to register. Even then, "Oh," is the best she can come up with, in a vaguely shocked tone. Which she thinks he might misinterpret because he grimaces. 

"Look, I know it's..." He casts about for the word. "Awkward. But I'm sure I'm not the first... patient... who's had a reaction when an attractive doctor is treating him... I'm sorry if I've made you... uncomfortable..." 

It's his turn to babble and all Caitlin can do is stare at him. 

"OK," she hears herself say after a long moment where they're just staring at each other. Her legs move before she makes the conscious decision to walk and she hears him sigh as she reaches the door. Once there, she hesitates but not for long. 

Then she reaches out, slides the lock home. 

When she turns around again, he's looking over his shoulder at her, his face confused, questioning. And then she's standing in front of him, with no memory of moving, her hands resting lightly on his shoulders as his move up slowly to her hips. He opens his mouth, runs his tongue along his lips. "Caitlin..." 

His voice is lower than she's ever heard it and she knows exactly what she's doing when she lowers herself onto his lap so that she's straddling him. She can feel him hard against her thigh and she shifts slightly, experimentally. The resulting feeling makes her want to close her eyes and do it again so she does, and he sucks in a sharp breath as she leans down to rest her forehead against his. 

"Caitlin..." He tries again and she forces her eyes open. He looks worried and she reaches out, traces the lines along his forehead before moving her hands down to cup his cheek. "Are we really doing this?" 

She shifts again and his hands flex on her hips. One moves down, to the hem of her skirt and then underneath it, his warm fingers seeking a different kind of heat, finding it easily. "I hope so," Caitlin breathes, and then his lips are on hers and there is no more need to talk. 

She does get her shower that night, but she's not alone when she takes it. 

And when she leaves for home? She's not alone then either.


End file.
